Emergent
by LaceyLilac
Summary: *Allegiant SPOILERS* Since Tris has left, Tobias lives a content life alone. Then he meets another blonde haired girl whose spunk chinks at the ice around his heart & he takes her in as his own. But when a Faction Enthusiast group threatens his world, will he allow his former warrior self to emerge and save Chicago, this time without Tris by his side?
1. First Sight

_Hello there! I have returned to the world of fanfiction choosing the Divergent series as my challenge! I hope you enjoy this story. It's from Tobias' POV and he is 35 years old. Happy Reading!_

_(All characters beside the original ones are property of Veronica Roth. No copyright intended. Just glad to be able to write my story within her world!)_

I close the door to my apartment and slide the key to turn the lock. It's a cold winter morning, fog swirling in the air looking like airborne snow hanging in the sky. I flex my fingers in my gloves to keep the blood flowing as I cross the dead street, heading to my office. I always take a vacant route to work, to clear my thoughts and focus on what I have to talk about as a politician, taking in the city's view and noticing problems that are in my power to fix. It's a nice walk beside the lake which is currently frozen solid. A soft snowflake falls on my cheek and I smile and indulge in opening my mouth and let one fall on my tongue. When it snowed in Abnegation, we were never allowed to play in snow outside, a selfish act of having fun. Even if we were, my father Marcus would never allow me, though I'm sure the snow would've been a nice numbing tool to help with the marks from the belt. I shake away the thought. I haven't seen my father since I was eighteen and there have been rumors that he had passed away. It didn't affect me much.

The grass is covered in a thick layer of snow, a white canvas against a gray sky. Not a single footprint ruins the blanket of snowflakes. I smile as it somehow reminds me of Tris' hair and I imagine my fingers running through it. Her memory only makes me happy now. I'm no longer sad about her passing, though I do wish she was here with me. Seventeen years doesn't make the loss any easier, time makes the wounds fade a bit and it becomes a little more bearable. There is no one else in this world that can affect me the way Tris did and I've accepted it. I may be alone in that aspect of my life, but I'm not completely an outcast like I was before. I still have my friends. Christina, a new mother and married woman, visits me from time to time, checking on me. Zeke and Shauna, married as well, live not too far from me and I wave at them as the pass by. I even visit Caleb and Cara from time to time. We all go out to dinner a couple times a month. We have stopped talking about Will, Uriah, Lynn, Marlene and Tris in a negative, mournful light, no longer speaking about the pain and how much we miss them. Instead, our topics are lighter and happier than before, commenting on the changes of our world and our lives. Sometimes we'll recall a funny story or two that involves those we did lose, like Zeke's story about the first time Uriah went zip lining and got his pant stuck on the harness. He had to walk back to Dauntless in just his underwear. Every so often when a anniversary of their death or what would've been Choosing day hits, it's nice to open to those who do understand what I've been through, who harbor the pain like I do. We raise a toast to those who are gone and keep living with their memory. Shauna and Christina, as well as my mother, worry that I'm lonely but I enjoy the seclusion. They constantly try to set me up on dates with their female friends, but I always decline. Sometime I do long for company, but no one has ever drawn me to them the way Tris did. After I scattered her ashes on the zip line, I seemed to scatter any harboring pain and anger about the whole situation. Our city was changed for the better because of Tris. She's the reason I am able to do the job I want, be able to say and do what I deem as right, that I can be any characteristic I want. Even getting to wear whatever color I want. I'll miss her till the day I die, but I am also thankful and understanding of her sacrifice. As a council member, succeeding Johanna Reyes after her death 8 years ago, I was able to place funding for a memorial wall for those lost during the war. The wall is made of brick with names engraved in each block. Sometimes when I'm restless at night and go for a walk, my feet lead me to the wall right to Tris' brick. Her memory and legacy flow through my mind daily and peace has found me. I'll love what she did to help this world. I'll love her forever.

I turn a corner and pass the factionless segment. The technical term is actually "homeless" by my faction termed tongue still calls them the factionless. Not all things from the past were fixed and there are still people who struggle with finances and starve. Part of the reason I take this route to work is to check on their situation. I'm still working on that with my office, trying to figure out ways we can help them. I offered an idea to have the old Abnegation houses that weren't torn down and no one wants to live in to become a homeless neighborhood. There is no Abnegation faction to help them anymore, but some of the older former members still spend their time doing volunteer work. It may have been a priority in their faction, but now it is their choice to help others. It seems to sit better this way. I take a quick glance at the group of people, huddled around fires that bloom upward from large trash cans. I hear a cry and my eyes float in the direction of the sound. My instincts almost take over to start running, but my limbs are stunned and stuck as I see a thin blonde headed girl running after a man. She pulls on the blanket the man must have taken and rings him around to face her. My jaw drops when I see her tiny fist make a perfect shot at the man's left cheek bone. He crumples and she gathers the blanket, looking around quickly to see if she was in more trouble, but no one leaves the comfort of their fire and ignore the outbreak. I almost move out to scold her for causing unnecessary violence but my lips quirk up in a smile as I see why she did what she did. She walks to a small corner of a wall and hands the blanket to a crying mousy haired boy not much older than four. An older woman comes up and takes the little boy in her arms who is tightly wrapped up in the blanket and mutters what looks like a thanks to the girl. She nods and sits against the wall, her chest rapidly moving up and down. She closes her eyes, trying to calm herself. I look at her for a moment, hidden behind a light pole a few feet away. She has bright blonde hair caked with dirt and light blue eyes. The first thing I think of is Tris, but the girl's eyes are a little darker, her lips a little fuller. She also has a hooked nose that resembles mine more than Tris'. _Could this have been what our child could've looked like? _I shake my head at the ridiculous thought and continue observing the girl. Even from here I can see her collar bone and shoulders protruding from her skin due to malnourishment. Dark circles and cover the skin beneath her eyes and her cheeks are sunken in. Small bruises paint her skin as if she had faced Peter in the ring at Dauntless. She is wearing a thick pair of pants and a tank top despite the cold and my heart beats a little harder with sympathy. My stiff traits show and I make my way towards her, unraveling my scarf as I walk. I know she would never come up to me, since, as Tris once said, I'm as approachable as "a bed of nails" so I decide to approach her. As I walk, no factionless touch me as I walk straight through their hub and towards the girl. They recognize me as a council member. The girl looks up as she hears my feet and her eyes are unwavering as they meet mine. A lifetime in the slums of Chicago has made her brave. And tough as well, I think, noticing her red swollen hand that struck the man's face. I crouch down on the balls of my feet and hand her my scarf. At first she shakes her head, but sees my glare and takes the item without protest. I clear my throat and talk easily. More than a decade of political work has made talking easier and less taxing. I smile softly. "Hi there. I'm Tobias Eaton.. I saw what you did for that little boy. Was he your brother?"

She shakes her head no.

My smile widens. She did that for no reason. "You are a very brave girl. What's your name?"

And my mouth turns dry and I lose my balance when she speaks:

"My name is Beatrice."


	2. First Jumper

Chapter 2 here we go!

My skin is as white as the snow. I'm sitting down now, my legs and arms limp. "Beatrice?" Tris' voice lingers in my ear. _Every time you feel me breathe, you breathe. Focus on that. _I pretend she is there, like she was in my simulation, calming me. I close my eyes briefly and see the girl staring at me with confusion. "You're name is Beatrice?" My jaw is clenched and shock is in my eyes.

She furrows her brow. "What, is that a hard one?"

My jaw drops and I give out a harsh laugh and rub my forehead. "You gotta be kidding me."

"Um no. That's my name, Mr. Eaton. Can't change it even if I wanted to. What's it to you? Why do you look scared?" She ties the scarf around her neck and try to keep her arms covered by the excess wool.

"I'm not scared. . . I had a friend who had that name. She died. I'm sorry."

Her face changes to sympathy and she places her tiny hand on my arm. It's small and cold. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

I shake my head. "No, it isn't your fault. It's actually kind of ironic. You remind me of her."

She gives a grin and she has a small gap between her front teeth. "Was she an orphan too?"

I clear my throat. "Not at first but, eventually, yes. She died in the war." I smile down at the girl. "May I ask how old you are?"

She frowns. "Last time I remembered my age, I was turning seven. But I think that was a couple years ago. Before my momma died... So maybe I'm nine; No, ten." She grins and shrugs. "Let's go with that." Her cheeks are red from the cold and her dimples appear every time she talks. At least that's a difference between her and Tris.

"Do you have any family?" I ask.

"Nope. I didn't have a sibling. Never knew my daddy. His name was Daniel, I think. Momma was the only one, but she got sick and died. I live on my own." Her eyes look behind me for a moment and then return to my face.

I swallow hard. "Beatrice. Where do you live?"

Her eyes are bright. She holds out her hand. "Let me show you!"

I take her hand gently and allow her to lead me down the street and under a small awning. There's a large box made out of cardboard. Inside the box sits a small cup and a dirty stuffed bear. She drops her head. "I had a blanket, but it got stolen from that man."

"But you got it back. Why did you give it to that boy?" My hand squeezes hers without thinking.

She shrugged again. "He's just a baby. He needs it more than me." She looks back at her box. "It's not much, but it's better than nothing."

I clench my teeth and pull out my portable phone. There were telephones in the factions, but only council members had them. Now, anyone can have one that's portable to contact people whenever. I'm still not used to always having it in my pocket, but it's an easy device that I get the hang of thanks to my quick learning with computers. I dial the office.

"Good morning, this is Rebecca, who can I wire you to?"

"Rebecca, this is Tobias. I won't be able to make it into work this morning." I rub my closed eyes.

"Oh thank God. I was getting a bit worried. Is everything all right?"

"Yes, yes. I just need to take a day off." I rub my lips together, waiting for her response.

"Good for you. You deserve it. You haven't taken a single day off since I've started working here. It's my fifth year, Tobias."

I laugh. "Yes, well it seems I do deserve to use my vacation time, though I was hoping to save it up and carry it over to eventually get a year off."

"Yeah, yeah. Go have a relaxing day. I'll have a pot of coffee waiting for you Monday morning. Enjoy your long weekend."

"Thank you, Rebecca." And I hang up the phone. I check my emotions and turn back around. Beatrice had crawled in her box and was braiding a strand of her hair. I smiled and looked down at her. "Can I ask you a question?"

She looked up, her thin fingers still working. "Shoot, Toby."

I laugh a little. "It's Tobias."

"Right. Tobias. So what do you wanna know?"

I cross my arms. "Who taught you to punch like that?"

"My momma did. She said she used to be a warrior when there were factions. She was in Dauntless."

My eyes widen with interest. "What was her name?"

The girl smiled. "Lauren. Her name was Lauren."

My eyebrows shoot up. "Lauren? As in dark-haired, many piercings Lauren?"

Beatrice nodded. Now that she confirms it, I see a lot of Lauren in her. Her eyes are the same shade of blue and though her hair is blonde unlike her mother's, Beatrice has the same thick, wavy hair. My thoughts go in a million directions. _When did Lauren become a part of the factionless? After the factionless stormed Erudite? Why didn't I know?_

"Beatrice, I knew you're mother. I was from Dauntless too."

Her eyes were bright. "Really? Was she brave?"

I give her a sad smile and instinctively stroke her hair. "Very."

She closes her eyes. "Were you friends?" I nod and she gives me a cheeky smile in return."

I swallow down a lump before I ask the question that really has been on my mind when she said Lauren was her mother. "Did she ever say you were named after someone she knew?"

Beatrice takes a moment to think. Recognition flickers over her eyes. "Yeah, she did. She said the woman who saved the city was named Beatrice. Momma knew her in Dauntless. She always said 'She was the first jumper'." She pauses. "Was that your friend?"

I close my eyes and smile, shaking my head a little. "Yes. That was her."


	3. Nickname

_Chapter three ready for you guys!_

After only 45 minutes spent talking to her, I've already made my decision. "Beatrice, do you trust me?"

She pauses before she gives a truthful answer. "I don't know you that well, but I think I do."

I smile and take her small hand. "And you are all alone out here?" She nods, looking away with a shameful expression. I squeeze her hand lightly and she looks back at me with a small smile.

"Beatrice," I start, "would you want to come live with me?"

Her eyes widen. "No sir, I couldn't possible burden you-"

"No, please. I want you to. I live alone. I don't have a wife or children and I have plenty of space for it. As your mother's friend I feel some sort of… Responsibility. I want to take care of you."

She stares at me for a moment and then retracts her hand. She turns toward her box and grabs her stuffed animal. "Well, let's go see if your place beats my box."

"WOAH! YOU HAVE A BALCONY?!" Beatrice runs out to look over the ledge.

I already feel my heart racing. "I don't go out there very often."

She giggles and looks back at him. "Why not? Scared of heights?"

I say nothing. Now she gets it…

"Oh. You are. That's okay, we're all afraid of something." She closes the door and comes back inside, plopping unceremoniously onto the couch, limbs sprawled out.

"Oh yeah? You don't seem afraid of anything. You're pretty brave. What are you afraid of?"

She frowns. "I don't like dogs. Or guns."

"Why not?" I ask, sitting on my bar stool, undoing my tie.

She quickly flips over and lies on her stomach. A fidgety little thing, she is. Buzzing with energy. "The police men would bring their dogs to our street. They weren't nice. And a gun killed my momma."

I stop what I'm doing and look at her. "I thought you said she got sick?"

Beatrice nodded, now sitting normally on the couch, her elbows on her knees and chin in her hands. "When I was real little, I used to go out and look at the stars while my momma slept. I liked to think I was really high in the sky, that I could touch one. One night, a man came towards me, trying to steal something out of my pockets. I didn't have anything in there, but I screamed because I wanted him to leave. Momma came out and punched the man right across his face. She was real strong and tough. The man didn't know how to fight so he pulled out a gun and shot her. It hit her leg, but she kept going. She kicked the gun out of his hand and flipped him on his back. She grabbed me with one hand placed her hand over my eyes and grabbed the gun with the other. I know she shot him in the head. Momma was smart to. She took the bullet out of her leg, but she didn't have any supplies to stop infection. She got blood poisoning, apparently. That's how she died."

I curse silently under my breath. Lauren was always a good friend, a normal Dauntless friend who I could go to about questions with training or the computer program. The story leaves a sour taste in my mouth. After a moment or two, I realize she's still in her thin clothing and I don't have anything for her to wear. "Beatrice? How about we get you cleaned up. You wanna take a hot shower?"

She nods enthusiastically and pops up off the couch. I lead her to my bathroom and turn on the shower for her while setting out a towel. "Do you need, um.. my help?"

She rolls her eyes. "Contrary to what I look like, I have had the luxury of bathing every once in a while. I think I can handle it." She places her hands on my lower back and escorts me out of my own bathroom. I chuckle. As I enter my living room again, I realize the situation I'm in. I am now the care taker of a child. I don't have a room set up for her or clothes. That's when I start to panic. I pick up the phone and call Christina.

After explaining my situation, I almost lose hearing in my ear when she screams "You WHAT?" I then babble on about how she has no family and lived in a box and her name was Beatrice and her mother was Lauren and I felt responsibility and sympathy deep in my gut like the blade of a knife. Christina sighs on the other end. "Oh Tobias. . . I'm actually quite proud of you. I'm heading that way with some extra clothes."

I sit on the couch and close my eyes. Then I hear her.

"TOBIAS!"

I come running to the bathroom door. "Beatrice, what's wrong?" I twist the door handle-

She pushes back on it with much force. "No! Don't come in here, I'm naked!"

I blush and reply softly. "What do you need?"

"I need something to wear." She sounds embarrassed as well, and I suppress a laugh at our awkward situation.

"My friend Christina is coming with some new clothes in about twenty minutes."

"I can't just sit in here for that long!" I hear a small bump that sound like she put her head against the door.

I look down at the bottom of the door and see her toes sticking out. "Give me a second, okay?"

I run in my room and look in my closet. There's a box that has a few of Tris' belongings Caleb let me have: nothing from her Abnegation life and a few outfits from her Dauntless life. I also have her watch and a locket that belonged to her mother. I was surprised that Caleb let me have this, but he said all he wanted was his mother's files from the Bureau and Tris' notes about them. He found piece the only way he knows how: through knowledge and words. None of Tris' clothes would fit her now, so I go to my area. I find the smallest boxer shorts I have, folding part of it and pinning it to make it even smaller, and I get my smallest sweater that I know will engulf her. "Here," I say as I slide them under the door.

"Please tell me you've never worn these." She says, obviously talking about my boxer briefs.

I roll my eyes. "Beatrice, they're clean. Cooties aren't real."

I hear her mutter something along the lines of "how would you know, only girls can see them" and she walks out, her wet hair against her face. She glares at me for a moment, then smiles and pats my arm, skipping away to the living room.

Who knew ten year old girls could already be so dramatic?

I clean up some of the water in the bathroom and hear a doorbell.

"I'll get it!" The door opens. "Hello, my name is Beatrice."

I walk to the front door and see Christina standing there, jaw dropped.

She raises her eyes and smiles. "Her name is Beatrice, she's got blonde hair and blue eyes… Couldn't help yourself, could you? At least that's it for the similarities. If she really looked like Tris it would be borderline creepy."

I shrug and embrace her quickly. "Thanks again."

"And who are you?" Beatrice asks looking up.

"I'm Christina. I'm Tobias' friend. I brought you some clothes." She holds up two large bags filled to the top with clothes.

Beatrice frowns. "Oh, no I couldn't-"

"Oh please. These are my daughter's old clothes. They are just sitting in my house." She takes the girls hand and leads her in my bedroom and closes the door. When they return, Beatrice is wearing a pair of jeans and a dark red sweater that hang loose on her. Feed her properly and they might just be a perfect fit.

I smile. "You look very nice."

Beatrice blushes then smiles. "I know. Christina said so."

I laugh and pat the couch seat next to me. Christina and Beatrice join me as we sit in silence for a moment. Beatrice then turns to Christina.

"Did you know my mother? Lauren?"

Christina nods. "Yes, I did. Not for very long. You look like her, except for your blonde hair."

Beatrice nods as if she already knew this. "My dad had blonde hair. So I've been told." Then she turns to me. "Can I ask you for something?"

I smile. "Of course."

She takes a deep breath. "There's something that I have always wanted. . ." She breaks off and I nod at her to continue. "I would like to have. . . a nickname."

Christina laughs. "Really? Why?"

"Well. There was always this family that I would watch walk by. The mother would hold the little boys hand and call him Johnny. Then one time, he ran away from him and she called him Jonathan. I realized Jonathan was his real name and his mom gave him a nick name cause she loved him. I asked my momma if I could have one and she said no. She said Beatrice was the perfect name and the only nick name she could think of wouldn't fit. She said it wasn't because she didn't love me; it was because she always wanted to call me 'just Beatrice'. But now, I'm starting a new life living here with Tobias. So, I want _Beatrice _to be my formal name like if I get in trouble. But I want a nick name so I know you're comfortable around me and…" She shook her head. "It's a silly request."

I grab her hand. "Hey, no it's not. Of course we can think of a nickname. Christina and I both have one, too."

She looked up. "What are they?"

Christina smiled. "Sometimes people call me Chris. And Tobias _used_ to go by the name Four."

Beatrice looked at Tobias with wide eyes. "Like the number four?"

Christina laughed. "I wouldn't say that if I were you. . ."

I smirk at Christina and remember her as a smart-mouthed Candor initiate. I look back down at Beatrice. "Long story."

Christina looks at me questioningly. "Tris?"

My eyes turn sad, and Beatrice must have noticed. "Is that what you called your friend?" I nod. "Then I don't want to be the same as her. I want to be different."

I smile, grateful that she didn't want to be called Tris. I may be at peace with Tris' death, but I'm still not to the point where I could call someone else her name. "How about Bee?"

"Bee… Like a bumble bee?" A dimpled smile overtakes her face. "Bee. I like that."

_I hope you guys caught that I made her ten because 4 + 6 = 10... ahh well, it made my day at least. Thanks for reading!_


	4. Pansycake

_Wow! One day, five reviews? amazing! Glad you like it so far!_

After a while, Christina left and it was just Bee and I. She swung her legs back and forth casually then looked up at me. "So. Now what?"

I looked down at my watch. A quarter past noon. "How about some lunch," I ask. She nods and I make my way to the kitchen. "Is a grilled cheese okay?"

"Sure!" She makes her way to the bar stool to take her position to watch me cook. "What exactly is a grilled cheese?"

I turn with my spatula in my hand. "You don't know what a grilled cheese is?"

She blushes a soft pink color and gives a harsh laugh. "Uh, yeah. I know exactly what a grilled cheese is. It's a piece of cheese. . . that's like. . . grilled." Her eyes look anywhere else but mine.

"Essentially, yes, but it's like a sandwich. You know, two pieces of bread, cheese in the middle, and you grill it." She nods nonchalantly, examining her fingernails. I smirk. "So, what would you like to drink?" I open the fridge as the first side of our sandwiches grill. "I have water, some lemonade, I have a few sodas to choose from-"

"Is this still hot?" Bee holds up my coffee pot, one eyebrow raised.

For a moment I don't know what to say. "Um. Touch the side."

She does what I say and a satisfactory gleam appears in her eye. "I'll have this, please."

I pause and look at her. Then I reach in my cabinet for a coffee cup setting it down. I flip our sandwiches quickly so they don't burn, then take the pot from her as she returns to her seat. I fill her cup close to the top and set it in front of her. She immediately wraps her fingers around the cup.

"You need any creamer or milk?" I'm still in shock that I have a ten year old in front of me who is drinking coffee.

"No thanks, I like mine black." And I'm in more shock that she has a preference.

I tilt my head to the side and shrug my shoulders. It won't hurt, right? I return to our grilled cheese and take them off the pan, setting them on plates. I slice hers in two triangles. "What else would you like to go with your grilled cheese?"

She swallows a mouthful of coffee. "What else do you got?"

I open my fridge to look through then move to the cabinet, not shutting the fridge door. "So I have multiple choices of chips you can choose from-"

"What's that pink thing? In the fridge?" She points toward the container on my top shelf.

I grab it. "Strawberry Yogurt." She nods, and I place a spoon and the yogurt next to her plate. She begins eating and then looks at me. "What," she asks.

"That's a stranger variety of food you've got there."

She shrugs. "I'm a growing girl. This," she properly reads the label, "Low-Fat Strawberry Yogurt, cheese that is grilled, and cup of Joe is all going to help my muscles and brain power." She explains her logic to me while a drip of strawberry yogurt is on her cheek.

I stifle my laugh and reach out to wipe the yogurt from her face. "You're strange. I like you."

She laughs soundly and replies, "Ditto." Which apparently means you too.

After lunch we sit in the living room getting to know each other. We ask typical "What's your favorite color?" type questions. (Mine was obviously black and hers was obviously pink.)

I ask her when her birthday was and she frowns. "I don't remember."

Her reply makes me sad so I try to ask questions to maybe help her remember. "Okay, when you celebrated your birthday, what was the weather like?"

She bites her cheek, thinking. "It was cold.. And lots of snow."

I nod. "Okay, so it was in Winter. You have three months. December, January, or February."

Her eyes widen. "December! It was December!."

I smile. "Good! Do you remember a number?"

She chews on her thumb. "The sixth."

I close my eyes and shake my head, muttering, "of course…"

"'Of Course' what," She asks.

I reach out giving her leg an assuring pat. "Nothing. You're turn."

The day moved by quicker than I thought it would. When Dinner came around, Bee asked me for another grilled cheese sandwich, this time accompanied with a warmed up cup of tomato juice and lima beans that may or may not have been out of date. We're making progress though. I set up a bed for her on the couch and tucked her in with her filthy stuffed bear that I couldn't make her let go long enough for me to wash it. When she deemed that I was free to go my room, turned out the lights and left. As I crawled into bed, I realized I opened up to this small girl in one day more than I have to anyone in the last fifteen years. Is it her childlike innocence that I'm drawn to? She bared no judgment of the things I have told her, which wasn't very much at all, but still more than I've shared with anyone since Tris died. I try to remember yesterday and what I was doing and if I ever expected to basically become a father in a whirlwind of 24 hours. I think Tris would be proud. And glad I at least found comfort in a small child, rather than no one at all. In all my years I've never thought about becoming a father. I was afraid. Marcus left me wounded as a child but wary as a man. I close my eyes as fear course through my veins. What if I lose control? What if I hurt the little girl sleeping in my apartment? I silently vow to myself to never let harm fall upon little Beatrice, whether by me or anyone else. With that peaceful thought, I drift to sleep.

I am quickly awoken by a high pitched cream coming from my living room. I throw of my covers and come into the living room. I see Bee sitting up, her palms covering her face and hear her quick breathing like sobs. I place a comforting hand on her shoulder, and use my other to pry her hands from her face so I can see her. "Beatrice,"

Amidst the chaos, she still has the gall to scowl at me for using her proper name that's "reserved for scolding only". I correct myself quickly. "Bee, what's wrong?"

She withdraws her wrists from my hold and wipes her face. "I had a bad dream, about momma dying. I realized I have no family. No one left. I woke up and I was alone and forgot where I was and panicked. I'm sorry."

My heart swells and I pull her into my chest. "Don't worry, Bee. I'm your family now. Okay?"

She nods and I gently lay her back down. I try to get up, but she whispers my name and squeezes my hand. "Will you sit with me, until I fall asleep?" I nod and smooth stray pieces of her hair out of her face. Her chin wobbles. "I feel dumb needing you here. I've been by myself for three years and never needed anyone to help me sleep."

"Hey, don't feel dumb. It happens to all of us. We all need comfort."

She's silent for a moment, then speaks again with words that make me almost fall of the couch with laughter: "If you stay in here, does that make me a pansycake?"

"Where. On earth. Did you learn that word?" I ask in between gulps of air and measures of laughter.

She cracks a smile. "Momma. She said her friend Zeke and Uriah would use that word for someone who was afraid of silly things. Like when I was afraid of lady bugs when I was five."

I smile wider. "No, you aren't a pansycake, Bee."

She closes her eyes and sighs. "Good. And being afraid of heights doesn't make you a pansycake either." Her breathing slows down and when it's clear I can leave, I press a feathery light kiss to her forehead and whisper in her ear. "Be brave, Beatrice."


	5. Factions and Fairytales

_a/n: I'm not quite sure where we lost Lauren within the pages of Insurgent and I am too lazy to flip and skim over 525 pages to find out. So let's pretend she was with a group that stormed in Erudite. (If someone remembers and realized that she died in Insurgent, can we just forget it happened? I would feel very dumb) _

_Besides my OC, all other characters belong to Veronica Roth. _

_Alternate chapter name: Papa Four_

_. . . I dream of the trees in Amity, my younger self climbing higher and higher. My heart is racing but not from fear, but with adrenaline and longing. I move faster and faster as I hear her voice call down to me: "Tobias? Hurry! You'll miss the sunrise!". . ._

I wake to something poking my right arm. I groan in protest and try to move away from it. The probing is consistent and evenly spaced out. I decide to confront whatever it is and blink in surprise at what I see. Bee's curious eyes stare back at me as she hides below the line of the mattress. "Tobias?" she whispers softly.

I plant my face in the pillow and mutter, "Good morning, Bee."

She gives a quick giggle and sighs. "Oh good. Glad you're awake. There's this pounding sound coming from the door. Like a knock. I didn't want to answer it without you awake. I think it's a man. He kept saying 'I'm going to count to four, Four, and if you don't answer I'm tearing down the door. Dauntless ninja style.'" Her lips quirk up when she says the last bit.

I sigh. "Go answer it. It's probably Zeke. I'll be there in a minute."

She nods and hesitates after she turns. Then she swings back around and chastely kisses my cheek. "Yes sir."

I smile after her and head to my dresser to get a t-shirt on and a pair of sweatpants. I listen closely as I hear Bee answer the door.

"Good Morning, sir. My name is Beatrice, but you can call me Bee. Tobias just woke up, he'll be in here soon. Please don't break our door."

I can picture Zeke's face in my mind and laugh quietly. It's fun to surprise him. His reply makes me laugh a little louder: "Okay. Thanks strange little girl."

When I walk in, the biggest grin on my face, Zeke looks at me with shock. "Dude, when we're you gonna tell us you had a kid and named her after Tris? I mean you haven't really dated anyone, but that doesn't mean you got around-"

I clear my throat and point at Bee. She stands there, looking smug with her arms crossed like I am, as if saying _We fooled you. _Before I can explain, Bee answers it for me. "He's not my _real _dad. I met Tobias yesterday. I live here now."

Zeke looks down at her and back at me, glancing between us two. "So, where are your parents, Bee?"

She shrugged. "Don't know my dad. My momma's dead."

Zeke winced, guilt crossing his face, but Bee doesn't seem upset; she's just stating the facts. "So where did Super Four save you from?"

"I was homeless. Or factionless. Whichever term you like better." Bee sits back down on her couch/bed and swaddles herself in a blanket, done with the conversation.

Zeke turns to me. "You just picked up a homeless girl off the street?"

I come closer to him to speak quieter. "You should've seen her. She has no one else to look after her. She had been living in a cardboard box for the last three _years_."

Zeke rubs his eyes, trying to process the situation. "And she just so happened to be named _Beatrice_?"

Bee, making her teddy bear sway from side to side, pipes in. "I was named after your friend. You know, Tris, the one who died for our city. My mother named me in honor of her." She smiles. "My mom used to say 'you are named after a brave young woman. Use that name to change the world like she did.'" She paused taking a deep breath. "That was actually the last thing she said to me."

Zeke wasn't the only one who was stunned silent. I clench my teeth to hold back tears. I knew she Bee understood that she was named after Tris but I didn't know she knew _that_ much about why she was. That Lauren had told her daughter bearing the same name the heroic things Tris did. Bee looked at us both and gave a small smile. "My mother used to tell me stories about a girl named Beatrice who saved the whole city from destruction, fought in a war, and gave her life so everyone could have free will. I had always thought they were fairytales she made up and used my name in to inspire me with. When she was sick, she told me that Beatrice was a real person she knew in Dauntless. The First jumper. The Savior of Chicago."

My legs can no longer take stand and I slump down in a nearby chair, Bee watching me with a strange look I can only assume as concern. My heart swells. For the longest time, I felt as if only our close friends thought of Tris as a hero. But maybe her legacy is known by more people. Lauren lived factionless but she was still thankful of Tris. Perhaps the all the factionless know about her story. Zeke places a hand on my shoulder with a steady grip. When he speaks, all humor is gone and his voice is quiet. "Beatrice. Who was your mother?"

"Lauren."

Zeke hums an acknowledging noise and turns to look at me. "Lauren became Factionless?"

I shrug but reply. "Maybe after Erudite was attacked she became factionless. I never saw her after that."

Zeke nods. "Neither did I." He's quiet then seems to remember something. "I came here because I needed to talk to you. Do you mind stepping out in the hallway for a moment?"

I nod and tell Bee I'll return soon. She gives me a thumbs-up gesture and continues swaying her bear. Once I shut the door behind me, Zeke pales as he starts talking. "Amar and I was on shift a couple of weeks ago and got a call about a vandalism report downtown near the Hancock building. George decided to come with us and when we got to building, we went inside. . . All over the walls, repeated again and again were the words 'Faction before blood.' We think there is some Faction enthusiast rebel group rising in the city. On Monday, would you be able to investigate a little? You have more power as a politician to dig up some information than we do as police officers."

I sigh loudly. "Yes. Of course, I will. I'll call you if I find anything. Thanks Zeke."

He claps me twice on the shoulder. "You still want to have dinner tonight, or are you going to have to find a babysitter?" He grins widely.

I roll my eyes. "I was thinking of locking her in a closet." I cough suddenly and shake my head. _ You're so stupid Tobias. Why would you joke about locking her in a closet when that was your punishment that led to claustrophobia being in your fear landscape?! At least Zeke doesn't know that._

Zeke laughs, unaware of my confession and my turning-gray face, and rub the back of his neck. "Nah, I think you should bring her. Introduce her to our crowd. Caleb will like her since he's basically the uncle, if you know what I mean." I nod. Yes, Tris and I would've been married. And yes I would've had a kid. And yes Caleb would've been the kids Uncle. So hypothetically-if-Tris-wasn't-dead speaking, yes, Caleb is like Bee's uncle. Zeke starts putting his gloves back on and heads down the stairs. "I'll see you later tonight, Papa Four."

"Do not call me that!" I call back.

I head back into the apartment to a waiting Bee. "What are you doing?" I ask

She waves me over to sit next to her on the couch and sit next to her. Without hesitation she takes one of my hands and holds it with both of hers. I haven't known her long, but one thing that amazes me is her ability to trust so easily, to love so quickly. And as paternal instinct rises in my heart, those abilities that allowed me to have a place in her heart frighten me as well. She could trust the wrong person, love the wrong person, and be hurt. She looks at me and I suddenly see tears filling her eyes. "Tobias, do I make you upset? Because I'm named after her?"

I gasp softly. Is that what she thought? "No Bee, of course not. No. I do get sad sometimes when I think about Tris, but you don't make me sad. You make me very happy, despite how little time we've known each other. You may be very similar to Tris, but you guys are different people, you know. You aren't as stubborn as she was."

She smiled. "Yet. Just wait till you get to know me a bit better."

"Oh how wonderful." I stroke her head. "The things that you both share in common are the things I admired about Tris. And already admire about you." I touch her nose softly. "You think of others, the way you gave that boy your only blanket. You're tough. I've never seen a ten year old with a right hook like yours."

Bee laughs and softly taps her fist to my jaw. I cry out in mock pain, and she giggles some more.

"See? I don't make you sad, do I?" She shakes her head. "And if you're happy, I'm happy too." I pull her into my lap for a moment, reveling in her comfort and my overwhelming sense of love toward this small girl. My life has changed immensely in the last two days and I know there is no going back after this. She is mine. Within my hollow shell of a lonely man emerges a father figure: to protect and love Bee with every fiber that makes up my body. "We're all right, you know." I say softly, rocking her back and forth. "You and me. Okay?' She nods into my chest. "Someday there will be a time when nothing else is all right, but we are."

_The last little bit is quoted from Insurgent, Tobias' words to Tris. The fanfiction will be full of ironic quotes from the books. I'm sure you caught the first few, but it makes my fangirl heart swoon. Thanks for reading. _


	6. A Dinner In Amity

-_Besides my OC, all characters are owned by Veronica Roth_

_- Alternate Chapter Title: Shauna= 0, Dauntless Cake= 1_

I decided to listen to Zeke for once in my life. Bee and I got dressed for dinner to meet the others. We bundled up in thick winter coats and Bee wrapped my scarf I gave her tightly around her neck. I smile when I see it. "You know, when Christina sees you, she's going to say something along the lines of 'that scarf clashes with your outfit'."

Bee raises her gloved hand and touches it. "But I got it as a gift from you. And I don't even know what 'clashes with your outfit' even means. Factionless miss out on the hip terms you people use."

I laugh and place my hand on her back to lead her out the door. "You'll learn, in due time."

She's quiet for a moment, a blush creeping upon her cheeks, and says. "Tobias? Yesterday, when I said I knew what a grilled cheese was, I was lying."

"I know, Bee." And I lock the door behind her.

Outside, the harsh winter wind whips at our faces. It's a lot colder now with the sun down, but we don't have to walk far to get on the train. Snowflakes slowly float downward, landing in my brown hair and the thick blond waves of Bees. I take a quick glance at her catching a snowflake on her tongue. I think about how tasting a snowflake brought me to this new adventure, becoming a parent of a child. She catches me watching, so I turn my head up and catch one on my tongue as well. Once we arrive at the train station, I lead Bee to a seat while I stand next to her. Her legs move up and down quickly. "Why are you so fidgety?" I ask.

"Because I'm excited!" She replies.

I smile softly at her enthusiasm though I'm not really sure exactly what she's excited for. "For our dinner?"

"Yes that. But this too. I've never been on a train before." Then the train starts to slowly move and her head becomes glued to a window, watching the buildings and snow covered trees pass by quickly. I smile and enjoy the easy ride myself. Once we get off and are making our way to the restaurant that's near the old Amity sector, I grab her hand and tell her about how the trains used to be.

"You mean to tell me, you jumped on and off a moving train?" She looks at me incredulous. I nod. She smiles. "Wow. That's cool."

We enter the restaurant, aptly named "The Apple Orchard" after the many apple trees that used to grow in Amity and happened to appear in my dreams the night before. I tell the hostess I'm meeting a group and she points to a large table in the back. As I approach I hear Zeke say, "Would I trade you for one piece of Dauntless cake, Shauna? No. But if we're talking about a life time supply, well-" He's cut off by a slap to the chest from Shauna. They all laugh and look up towards my direction. Christina and Zeke look calm as their eyes land on Bee. Caleb, Cara and Shauna, however, have many different emotions. Cara's face looks as if she's trying to figure out how old Bee is, and relate it back to my very empty dating timeline. Shauna looks at Bee with utter shock and borderline anger. Then she turns to Zeke, hissing "Did you know about this?" And, finally, Caleb is taking in every feature on Bee's face and comparing it to my own. I stop them before they explode with unknown knowledge. "You guys. I want you to meet someone." I look at Bee, hinting at her to introduce herself.

She clears her throat. "Good evening everyone. Please hold your questions till the conclusion of my story." I bite my lip and shake my head, containing my laughter. "My name is Beatrice. Yes, Beatrice. I was named in honor of your friend Tris by my mother. My mother's name was Lauren and she used to be a Dauntless instructor. She died three years ago. I don't know my real father. But Tobias has decided to become my father and take me up off the streets and teach me thing like what a grilled cheese really is. And I am now living with him. Okay, any questions?"

Everyone's silent for a moment, soaking up her words. After a few seconds, Caleb, Cara and Shauna look at each other then say. "No."

I take my coat and Bee's as well. "Great. Have you guys ordered yet?"

Halfway through the meal, Bee left the table to use the restroom, reassuring me that she was old enough to figure it out on her own. After she leaves, I look around the table. Shauna has her hand placed against her heart.

"Tobias. I'm so happy for you. I think this is what you needed the whole time."

I smile at her and nod my thanks. I look at Caleb and I see him chewing his lip, the way Tris used to. "Did you know she was named Beatrice?"

"No. I didn't at first." I explain to them what I saw on my way to work that morning and was immediately drawn to her because her bravery and selflessness. Her name being Beatrice happened to be an ironic shock.

Caleb nods. "It seems her legacy has touched more people than we originally presumed."

Cara murmurs an agreement. "I had always assumed her sacrifice would simply blend amongst the other fallen hero's stories of sacrifice. Its inspiring to know she made such an impact even among the factionless."

An hour or so pass, and soon my friends and I are once again wrapped in thick winter coats heading our separate ways, planning our next get together. I take Bee's hand and we walk silently towards the train station. She looks back at the dead apple trees, its limbs encased by a thin layer of ice. "We can come back in the fall. It's much prettier to look at," I whisper and tug her along so we don't miss our train.

When we arrive back at the apartment, Bee is dead on her feet, and I pick her up and carefully take off her extra layers of clothing and shoes. With her eyes closed and her breathing even, she lets me unravel her scarf, remove her gloves and strip away her coat. "You know, I'm not a baby. I usually would do this myself."

"Just let me take care of you, okay? You're not a baby." I lay her down on the couch and cover her with multiple blankets.

"Mm'kay. Good. I'm only allowing you to help because I'm real tired..." She wiggles a bit beneath the covers to get fully comfortable. "Tobias? Would it be ok if I called you dad? I mean, is that what you are?"

I inhale sharply. Then I lean down and kiss her forehead. "Yes, Bee. I'm your dad."

_Might be a little sudden for you guys, but we're about to jump forward six years and run into some trouble. Are you ready to join me?_


	7. Your Choice, Chicago

_Thanks so much for the review, you guys! I love hearing feedback. Let me know if you guys have any questions about the story so far or have any ideas that you'd like me to incorporate! Wanna make this a FF for you guys to enjoy! Here' ch 7!_

XXX

6 YEARS LATER

I roll onto my back and smile when I hear soft footsteps mulling around my kitchen. I knew she would be up before I was. She's never been able to sleep well when special occasions come up, like today. Our first Christmas consisted of me waiting for Bee to fall asleep at three in the morning and then waking up at six by a persistent hand and a hard-to-say-no-to adorable pout to get me up and watch her open up the presents. The December sun this morning is already bright in my bedroom, so I quickly throw on a sweat shirt and head into the living room.

Bee sits on the couch, a mug full of black coffee rests between her hands and her thick framed glasses lay steady on her long nose. She looks up at me with a lame expression of casualness and nods in my direction. "There's extra coffee for you."

"Thanks Bee. What are you doing up so early?" I make my way and turn my back to her while pouring myself a cup and biting my lips.

"Oh you know that old saying; 'The early worm gets the bird' or whatever it is." She runs her index finger around the rim, looking down.

I pour sugar in my coffee. "Must have gotten too much sleep. You know since you slept in till noon yesterday." I make my way to the fridge. Just because I'm evil, I add: "Hey what's today's date?"

She replies instantly. "December sixth."

I smile wider as I lean deeper into the fridge. "It Is? Well I have an interview tomorrow, I should look into that."

Bee sighs loudly and flips onto her stomach, her head pressed deeply into the couch. I grab the plate from the fridge and set it down in front of her with a thud. Her head lifts slowly and looks at me, then sees what I put down next to her: A blueberry bagel in the shape of a 16 and a container of strawberry yogurt. She looks back at me for a second and then throws her arms around me. I laugh soundly as I return her hug, my lips against her hair. "Happy Birthday, Bee."

"Thanks dad." She pulls away and kisses my cheek. Folding her legs underneath her, she looks down at her birthday breakfast again. "So where's the cream cheese?"

XXX

Shauna found the recipe. I'm not quite sure who she talked to and how they got a hold of it in the first place, but Shauna was able to make Dauntless cake. I almost forgot that it wasn't my birthday, that it's Bee's.

It's strange to think more than six years ago, I never expected to be throwing my daughter a 16th birthday party in my tiny apartment I pictured for just myself. I never thought having a family or raising a child was an option because Tris was my only family. I never thought there could be anyone else. It seems that I was blessed and changed by not only one Beatrice in my life, but two. Shauna sets the cake in front of bee, the candle light flickering on her face. She's matured a lot in the last couple of years, and I can already see the makings of a young woman appearing in her features and gestures.

Christina begins singing "Happy Birthday" and we all join in,Bee's smile forming into a full blown grin. She made her wish and the candles' fire was replaced with a small trail of smoke. I take her hand gently and give it a squeeze. We all indulge and have a piece of the infamous dauntless cake and casually talk amongst everyone. Christina talks about her kids growing up too quickly, Shauna talks about painting the kitchen a new color.

Bee stares at me for a moment, sitting in her chair while the others continue to talk. I sit closer to her, asking what she is thinking about. She looks at me, hesitant to speak, then decides to go for it: "I wish Tris could've been here. I wish I knew her."

I calm my breathing and try to respond without my voice shaking. "I wish she could've been here to meet you. She would've loved you." I kiss her temple and hold her for a moment. I sigh, remembering that I may not be able to hold her very much longer. She'll become an adult and leave me as a lonely old man once again. I'm just thankful there are no more factions and choosing day so I can be with her for a year or two more. I'm disturbed from my thoughts when Zeke suddenly darts out of the room, a phone glued to his ear. "Amar, Amar, slow down. Where's George?"

My ears perk at the words and I follow Zeke into my bedroom when his eyes make contact with me and tell me I'm allowed to listen in. "Where at," he speaks to Amar. "George was shot?" I tense immediately. This is not good news and is painful coming from Amar. Zeke pauses then pales. He looks pointedly at me: "Turn on the TV."

We both rush back into the living room and I grab the remote quickly, the news appears instantly, a reporter being filmed in an old Erudite building. He speaks calmly though the situation is nothing but calm. "An act of terrorism has been inflicted on the city's political building." I gasp as I see the building I work in up in flames. "Police reports say there are reportedly 20 victims who are not severely hurt, three casualties, and 15 in critical condition, one being Sergeant George Wu, one of the few ahead of the Chicago Police Department." I pull Zeke with me towards the door as I grab my coat and we head out the door. Before it shuts, I hear Bee call out to me, and I return to glare at her sternly. "Do not leave this apartment, do you understand me?" I don't wait for her answer, knowing she'll obey begrudgingly.

Zeke luckily has his police car parked outside and we are able to drive to the building quickly, his police lights flashing brightly and his siren piercing my ears.

There's something strangely beautiful about snow and ash mixing. They look similar as the slowly drift down in the sky, until they reach your skin; the ash is warm while the snow is cold. Ash is an effect of destruction but the snow, so pure and white, gives the ash a redeeming chance to pretend to be snow. And those who fear pain and loss can look out and pretend it is all snow.  
I even allow myself to while I try to slow my heart beat. Then I see the red flames, wrapping around the white columns holding up the building that controls our city. Zeke and I head to those who are in uniform, hungry for details.

"Officer Daniel. What's going on?"

He nods his hello before diving in. "Faction Enthusiasts."

Zeke whistles through his teeth. "Damn. I miss certain things about Dauntless, sure, but not enough to burn down buildings."

Officer Daniel nods. "I know. They seem to be a large group, though no one has actually spotted a single member. They're efficient in their retreat. We have no leads whatsoever."

"Who's been killed?" I ask, unable to bit my tongue any longer.

"A guard, a female secretary, and a pedestrian who went inside to get some of the victims out. He at least saved six of them." I hang my head, knowing my secretary Rebecca must be the one he's talking about. But my mind returns back to the pedestrian that risked his life so selflessly and, of course, my thoughts drift towards Tris. I shake my head. "Where's Amar?"

Officer Daniel's eyes turn a bit sad. "He's at the hospital with George. George suffered two gunshot wounds and multiple areas of severe burning. He'll be out for a while."

Zeke nods and continues asking questions. I listen for a while, but then I wander away from Zeke once they start using police lingo that I don't understand. Looking down at my feet as they scuff the side walk, something catches my eye. My mouth dries as I read the words. Written in bright red spray paint is pure evidence that a Faction Enthusiast Group did this, changing the original saying to a more chilling version:

"Factions or Blood. Your Choice, Chicago."

XXX

_scary stuff is happening in Chicago once more. Review and tell me what you think! _


	8. A Message

_Hi there! My senior year has begun! Luckily, I am stocking up chapters for this story, so I'll try to be able to keep a good update schedule. I thank God for fanfiction, because I'm pretty sure it saved my writing skill from sucking over the summer. So a thank you to you readers for your thoughts, critics, and love! I'm so pumped about my College English class because of this! Enjoy the next chapter!_

XXX

Zeke and I half walk/ half sprint into the hospital, looking for Amar in the waiting room. When we spot each other, Amar stands and joins us, looking fierce and strong minus the puffiness around his eyes. "I assume you both know what's happened." His voice is hoarse and soft, making it difficult to hear. I place an encouraging hand on Amar's back, well knowing it won't do much good, but my instincts to please my instructor haven't left me. He slowly explains to us what happened, his voice tight as a spring when he mentions George becoming hurt.

Zeke swallows hard. "Damn," was all he could say.

I take a few deep breaths. "I found something. . . At the scene." I watch their expressions warily and then continue. "It said 'Faction _or_ Blood. Your Choice, Chicago.'"

Amar's eyes flicker with anger. "We have to retaliate. Our city isn't safe anymore, especially now that there isn't a fence. Those who are faction enthusiasts have gathered to attack Chicago and take control of the city. They want to force us back into factions."

"But why? I don't get it... Everyone has been fine for the last fifteen plus years." Zeke's eyebrows furrow as he thinks.

"It could be former factionless members who couldn't get on their feet. They want to get factions again, this time ensuring they'll have one." Amar's mouth turns downward.

"It could possibly be a person who _was_ in a faction that hasn't done well without them." I add.

Amar nods. "Listen, I want to help. But right now. . . I need to be here for George. I'm getting to old for this." He twists his wedding band nervously. "I hope you understand."

"Of course, Amar. You should take George out of the city." Zeke speaks sincerely, his hands shoved in his pockets.

"No, I don't know about that. Perhaps you can figure out a way to attack the group outside Chicago. But we'll see." He pauses before turning for me. "As a fellow officer and George being a Sergeant, I'm leaving you both in charge. Four, are you willing to become a soldier?"

I'm surprised when my answer comes without hesitation: "Yes. I am."

XXX

Walking home in the cold sobers me up and I realize what I've done. I've basically become a head member of an army to protect the city. I haven't touched a gun in ten years. But that's not what's really bothering me, knowing my Dauntless instincts will kick in quickly.

What bothers me is Bee. I know she's old enough to take care of herself, but the situation is serious; more than I thought it would be. Her safety is threatened just by being a resident of Chicago. She's also the daughter of a political figure, which means if we lose this, we'll become factionless for sure. I clench my teeth, controlling my anger. I'm somewhat in a bind.

So when I walk through the apartment, I'm not in the mood to discuss tonight's events, but Bee gets straight to the point.

"So they want factions again?"

I sigh loudly, hoping she'll get the hint. "Some enthusiast group does."

"And they're coming to attack Chicago?"

I get a glass of water, praying that she'll drop it. "Yes, Beatrice."

Her eyebrows scrunch together, looking like they always do when she gets angry or frustrated. "And I'm assuming you have some part in this?"

"I do. Amar gave leadership to Zeke and I. We will lead a group to attack the terrorists and defend the city."

She nods, as if mentally taking notes and she already had that info written down. "And what happens to us if we do lose? Will we be factionless because of your political position?"

I grind my teeth. "_If_ we lose, then yes. That's exactly what will happen. But I don't plan on losing this war." I rub my eyes, feeling fatigue. "Can we talk about this later? It's past midnight."

She crosses her arms, looking at me straight in the eye. "I'm fighting."

I'm shocked for a moment, but easily recover. "No way in hell."

She throws out her arms. "Really Dad?! I'm not a child! I deserve to protect this city as much as the next person!"

"You may be older, but I will not let you risk your life before it even has really begun! Do you even understand what happens in a war?" The stress of the day has broken me and my control is lost. I feel my arms twitch so I hold the countertop. _You aren't like Marcus._

"If you didn't know, I've seen plenty of death growing up, _Tobias_." Her words sting like venom as she uses my real name. And it just pisses me off even more.

"Don't you dare pull _that_! You may have seen death, but you've never killed anyone. You don't understand how much I'm haunted by all the suffering _I've_ witnessed." My voice drops to whisper. "I grew up being beaten by my father and thinking my mother died, when in actuality, she faked her death and left me with my father. I was in danger for being a divergent and was threatened by someone from my own faction. I killed more than thirty people at least, lost some of my closest friends and I was betrayed by the love of my life. Then she died when we had finally reconciled. All this happened before I was twenty. And then I found you and became a father, and for the first time since Tris left, I've been happy. And I'm not about to threaten that happiness. So _don't_ act like you understand." My breathing is rapid.

She stands stunned in front of me. I haven't said much about my past over the years to Bee, only ever talking about good memories with Tris. I was afraid to burden her with my pain because I knew she had her own burdens to carry from her past. This is the first time I've bluntly shared about my past and I try to use it as a weapon to make her change her mind. "And I'm sorry that you went through that. But I can't sit here, letting the fate of my city rest in others hands and let the only person I care about lead them in the attack." She gulps down tears. "You're all I have, remember? If you go, I go to. That's the way we've always done it. Together."

I shake my head fiercely. "I can't let you do that."

She sighs and turns away from me, heading to her room. She pauses, facing the door. "I know what it's like living factionless. No child deserves that. And if I can help stop that from happening, then you can't stop me from fighting for them." She quickly retreats to the safety of her bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

XXX

The next morning, Bee and I manage to maneuver around each other without having to make contact. Zeke and I have contacted some of the important people in the city as well as our friends who we know will be essential in helping us fight. We sit in a room set aside for group meetings as I begin debriefing the team Zeke and I threw together.

Christina opens her mouth first, as I guessed she would. "She would start evacuating the city? Who knows when they'll attack?"

Zeke shakes his head. "We need to address the people and recruit some of them to increase our force team. Perhaps evacuating can be the next option."

"But where are the faction enthusiast members coming from?" Caleb's glasses sit slightly crooked on the bridge of his nose. "I've studied our population count within the last year. No drastic decrease in the numbers, just an accepted quantity reserved for the ones who are deceased." He frowns. "The number from the "factionless" section decreased a little more than usual, maybe by twenty. But twenty people couldn't cause that much damage to our city hall."

"This has actually been a longer process than you guys think." I sigh, feeling guilty and responsible for the attack, like the period of time when I knew Erudite and Dauntless was going to attack Abnegation and warned only my father, who did nothing. "This group has been in Police files for the last six years."

Christiana's jaw twitches. "Why didn't we know about this?"

Zeke steps in and saves me. "Their only crime was a small vandalism act in an abandoned building. After that, we heard nothing since the fire."

Cara shakes her head. "Chicago in flames, once again. History repeats."

"You guys, the point is that we all realize how threatening this group is. And we need to take military action-" The TV screen flickers. A man with a black ski mask appears suddenly.

The first sound we all hear is a blood curdling laugh escaping the lips of the man on the TV. Then he speaks: "So you're just now planning how to fight us? And from what I've been listening to, you haven't made much progress. Too bad I can't see your faces, but I can hear your startled breathing and that is appealing as well." He grins widely, the fabric moving with his face muscles. "You can try to be as diligent as you want but I want you to save your energy. You'll need it. But here's my tip, to you especially Tobias Eaton: You're out of time. You never had any to begin with. And we are coming after you; all of you. Enjoy your meeting, my friends."

Static fills the room as the video cuts and our hearts drop.

XXX

_Thanks for reading! Please leave me a review! Much love your way!_


	9. Instincts

_Hi guys! hope everything's good with you. Here's chapter 9!_

XXX

I met my mother by the train tracks. She pulls me into an embrace and for one moment, I revel in the safety of her arms, as if I was the little boy in Abnegation, before all the hatred towards her consumed me when I realize she faked her death. I'm not a hugger by nature, so when I return Evelyn's hug with more ferocity, she immediately knows. "What's wrong?"

I pull out my tablet to show her. "I have to show you something. Is there anywhere safe?"

Her eyes flicker when she realizes that I just said her apartment was unsafe. "Yes, follow me." She leads me down the street quietly, neither of us saying a word. I'm startled when she leads me to her old living area in the Factionless unit. We step inside, it looks the exact same, just covered in dust. She sits down at a small makeshift table and holds her hand out for the tablet. She plays the video, watching it slowly, absorbing every detail. When she's done she exhales slowly before looking back at me. "What's his name?"

"He goes by 'The Determinant', because his group will determine the fate of Chicago."

She nods, her hand covering her mouth while she's deep in thought. "After the last war, when we got rid of the factions," I hear the underlying words _The one Tris died in. That war. _"I heard rumors of a man who wanted to bring them back. He was living amongst the factionless before and after the war, but he wanted to make a version of factions that would ensure him a place. He wants to control aspects of the city. But I never heard about him in the last ten years. I assumed he died. It must be him."

"Do you know his name?"

Evelyn shook her head. "No. That's all the info, I heard about him. I'm sorry Tobias." She rubs her arms despite her coat. It's cold in her old living area and I wonder how many winters she endured in here. "So what are your plans?"

I tell her our ideas of gathering more soldiers and defending the city. "I would rather fight them outside the city, but we have no idea where they're located." I swallow, frustrated. Tris would know exactly what to do. It wouldn't take so long to figure out a set in stone plan to save our city. "Mom, do you think you can take the rest of the city; women, children, the ones who can't fight, to a safer area? Perhaps to Detroit?"

"I'll contact their leader. Luckily, our train tracks have extended in the last few years and go all the way to Detroit. We could make several trips if we act quickly."

I nod. "I'll talk with Zeke about how we want to do this. Thank you." I stand, giving my mother a polite kiss to the cheek and make my way to the open street.

Evelyn's voice stops me. "Tobias, everything will be fine. Chicago couldn't be in better hands." I give her a half smile and continue my exit.

XXX

I'm slightly panicking when I return home. Bee sits on the balcony, reading. I walk quickly to her, but don't go outside. "What are you doing out here? It's snowing."

She shrugs. "The narrator mentioned snow, so I thought it'd be fitting to sit out here."

"Well the narrator won't catch a cold. Come inside." I half say half growl. Stress has overtaken my brain so this just makes me angrier than it normally would.

She comes inside and plops on the couch, wrapping in a blanket. "Dad, I'm sorry about last night."

I wasn't expecting an apology, so it's sobering when I receive one. "It's alright, Bee. I just want to keep you safe. I don't have time to try and make sure you're okay." She nods, but I know nothing can convince her. At least she's smart enough to not say anything right now.

"Dad, what's eating at you?"

"In the past 48 hours, a city building has been burned, citizens have been injured and killed, and we've received two threats from the faction enthusiast group." I feel fatigued and realize I haven't eaten. Bee somehow suspected this and she walks to the kitchen, returning with a sandwich for me. I bite into and can't help but smile, despite the tension that's eating at me. "Is this Peanut Butter and Jelly?"

She shrugs. "We were out of ham."

We sit in silence after I finished my sandwich. My arm hair prickles when I sense it and turn straight to it. It's pressed against the cabinet in my kitchen. I tear through the house, knocking anything in sight over as I tear the secret camera from its hiding space. It just fuels the anger I had brewing from last night, watching the city building swallowed in flames, the video from The Determinant. I'm destroying everything in my apartment to find more cameras. I walk into Bee's room, sweeping the things off her desk, plucking one below her mirror. I head into my room, finding two, one directly between my bed frame and nightstand and a microscopic one next to the switch on my lamp that I almost never use. Once I take that one, I smash the lamp into pieces. All my life I've been so aware of security cameras, a tool I learned from my mother. It helped me talk to Tris privately when I realized she was Divergent in Dauntless. I hid from them in order to be alone for a moment and be myself, a person of many non-Dauntless traits. Even when I worked in the security room at Dauntless, I never saw myself when I went back over the footage. I'm good at spotting them when others can't. The fact that I missed these, putting myself and Bee in even more danger, breaks the restraints I had on myself all my life. For this one moment, I lose control. If my mother was here, she'd think Marcus was tearing up the house. I manage to hear Bee softly call out to me, but I ignore it. All my instincts that tell me to stop have no control over me instincts that tell me to destroy.

"Dad," Bee says sternly. Her hand clutches my arm and I jerk away roughly, making her stumble. That stops any fight I have left and I gulp down fear that I hurt her. But of course, she's fine. It was barely a shove. "Dad," she whispers, tears filling her eyes. I realize what would be worse than hurting her: Bee afraid of me. As if knowing my thoughts, she shakes her head, indicating she isn't scared or hurt, just has sympathy for me. She slowly takes the cameras from my hands. "Why don't you get some sleep? I know you're exhausted." I am. I am tired. Tired of fighting. Tired of sacrificing. I've fought enough in my life time by the age of eighteen. And I don't want to do it again. But I turn off my thoughts and nod at Bee, letting her lead me to my bed. I slowly cocoon myself beneath the covers and Bee presses a kiss to my cheek. I drift quickly.

When I awake, the sky is black and the snow has stopped falling for the day. Caleb and Bee sit at my dining table, the cameras sitting in a pile. There are seven, which tells me Bee found some on her own. I'm suddenly proud and when her eyes meet mine, we smile at each other with understanding. I look to Caleb, wondering what he's doing here.

He folds his hand on the tables. "We know where The Determinant and his forces are located."

XXX

_Thanks for reading. Please leave a review, i don't feel like I hear any feedback from you guys, and I miss hearing from you all! _


	10. A Way With Words

_Hi guys! Here's chapter ten! The name of the leader is inspired by Windchimed and her Determinant story! Absolutely stunning!_

XXX

I take a seat directly in front of them, waiting for Caleb to explain. "These small cameras that were hidden in your house were only temporary. I think that when we had Bee's party at Zeke and Shauna's, some of the enthusiast members came and placed them in spots around your house. They have a small chip connected to wire that runs from the camera that sends information back to the main source. The cameras you ripped from the wall weren't salvageable," He continues quickly when I glare at him. (After all these years, I think he's still frightened of me.) "But the ones Bee found were in good enough condition for me to take and do a little research on them. I figured out the axis code using a disfiguring theorem and took control of them. I'm not sure how much footage they got in the first place, but I wiped them clean." He pauses. "The group is set up in Indianapolis. They've taken over an old hospital and use it as their headquarters."

My eyebrows shoot up. Sometimes I forget how smart Caleb is after the many stupid things he did when he was younger. But I'm thankful for his help now. "Thank you Caleb. I'll be contacting Zeke soon. If we hold another meeting, you can explain it to them as well."

He nods at me. "Of course. I'll leave you two for the evening. Goodbye, Tobias." He gives Bee a small awkward hug and shakes my hand, both of us comfortable with the gesture. You'd never guess we grew up in Abnegation and never shook hands before.

Once he leaves I turn back to Bee. She looks at me warily, but sees that I have no anger left in me. She wraps her arms around me tightly. "I'm sorry daddy."

"What do you have to be sorry for," I murmur softly in her hair.

She buries her face in my chest. "I'm just sorry we have to go through this."

I ignore the 'we' for the sake of keeping the peace and I kiss her head. "It's not your fault Bee." I tighten my jaw thinking about the burning building and rushing out of her birthday party. "Did you open your gifts?"

She pulls away and nods. "Except yours; I wanted you to be there." She turns and grabs the present from her room sitting on the couch with the small package lying delicately in her hands. Tearing the shiny paper off, she slowly opens the gift, her eyes widening once the item is out of its box. "A necklace?"

I smile as the silver charm shines from the hitting the sunlight. It's a thin chord, not too bulky with a bumblebee hanging at the bottom. She smiles at the charm. "I love it." She quickly puts it on herself and presses the charm to her chest, feeling its presence around her neck. "Thank you."

I smile at her. "Of course… You know what we should have for dinner? Leftover Dauntless cake."

XXX

After we wipe the chocolate crumbs off our faces, we ride the train to Zeke's apartment so I can discuss the new information I learned from Caleb with him. When I arrive, Zeke looks exhausted. He senses me staring at the bags below his eyes. "I've been at the hospital all night. Glad you're here."

Zeke and I walk to the living room table and Bee follows us. I'm too tired to fight her about so I let her take a seat, but ignore her hesitant glance. I return my gaze to Zeke. "Why were you at the hospital? Was it George?"

He shook his head quickly. "No, no. George's wounds were deep so he's in an induced coma and the doctors our focusing on keeping the fluid out of vital organs." He bites his lip, like he always does when he has important news; both good and bad. His bottom lip was chewed raw when he told me Shauna was pregnant years ago. Their son, who is named Uriah but goes by his middle name Lincoln, is ten and has an erudite brain for his small age and he is constantly talking about the stars. Zeke always joked that 'my Erudite power was stored in my body and I gave it all to him. That's why I'm not Divergent.' "I spent all day talking to a victim from the fire. He told me about what they looked and acted like. He said they were incoherent of almost everything and were dressed in a dark blue army wear. He said it was like they couldn't hear them…" He pauses for a moment, rubbing the weariness from his face. "Do you think they found the old Erudite files about the suggestibility serum?"

When the factions disintegrated, the city hall kept the records from the faction. Amity didn't have many, only about production. Abnegation had charts about factionless numbers increasing. Dauntless had physical and health reports on all the members, but those were deemed too personal and were burned. Erudite had the largest amount of paper work. They had so much that some had to be thrown out just because we didn't have the space for it. But the formulas for the death serum and other dangerous ones that were the cause of ruining the factions were stored in a separate place from the other ones. Our City Hall is currently a pile of ash thanks to the Faction enthusiast group, and perhaps they found those files before letting everything go up in smoke. If they have those formulas it will make everything a lot more complicated, but luckily not totally unfamiliar.

"It's very possible they did. We had those heavily secured but I'm sure they found away to get them amongst the chaos of the night." Bee gives me a confused glance. She, like most of her generation, know about the factions of Chicago and the war that brought their end, but they don't know all the gory details about how many serums Jeanine Mathews made to take us down and that those who were Divergent were hunted down. Many of us older ones who lived within the faction period don't bring up the serums or the animal like way the Erudite hungered for power using their knowledge. In fact, those who were in Erudite often keep quiet about it, ashamed of the faction that worships the brain and the knowledge it can hold. I give Bee a look of _I'll give you a history lesson later _and continue my attention to Zeke, who is now waiting for me to share my information. "Caleb came over to the apartment. I found cameras in my house set up by The Determinant and their forces."

Zeke's jaw drops. "Are you kidding? How?"

"I don't know, but I found them this morning. Anyway, Caleb was able to find the receiver hanging from the camera and he knows where their located: Indianapolis. So we at least know where they're coming from or where we're going to. I think it might be a good idea to keep the fighting out of the city, go ahead and send the army to Indianapolis. Winter is coming to an end so we should be alright to travel a semi-short distance. The remaining men here will defend the women and children in case The Determinant's group splits up."

Zeke nods. "I agree. Now we just need to get ourselves an army. We need to address the people and quickly." He looks pointedly at me. "I assume you can do that because you are a public speaker, I can just get forms from those who do enroll."

I nod. "I was assuming I would speak to the people. Most of the city will come since they are aware that we're threatened, but the factionless will be harder to persuade to join our forces."

Zeke shrugs as if saying _we don't need them,_ but I think they could be helpful. I remember back to when Bee was a little girl and I saw her for the first time, smacking an older man in the mouth with a sharp right hook from a small and malnourished ten year old. The Factionless have survival instincts to protect what little they do have and if there was a way to convince them that it's part of Chicago and they could lose that too, they'd for sure join. I recall my mother telling me once about the Factionless, _We may have little but we'll fight to keep it._ I think of scenarios of how to approach the situation until my thoughts are interrupted.

"Dad, I want to talk to the factionless." Zeke and I both turn to her, my eyes saying _stop getting involved in this war _but my mind thinking that it's a brilliant idea. She echoes my thoughts when she explains that she'd be the perfect choice because she's "more suitable than anyone to talk to the Factionless" because she was one. Zeke is found of the idea and after a while, I do feel like it's our best option so I tell her okay. She smiles a thank you and it makes me feel a bit better about my choice.

XXX

"And that's what we're fighting for; to keep our hard earned freedom!" The crowd cheers in response as I make my way off stage, men and women heading towards the table Zeke sits at to enroll in our city's army to fight of the threat of those from Indianapolis. It's hard to wrap my brain around fighting another city because for most of my life, I didn't think there _was_ any other civilization outside Chicago, just land. I look at Zeke who, with Officer Daniel, seems to be okay without me, so I decide to go meet my mother and Bee at the factionless section of the city. It's still cold in Chicago but the night of the fire was the last snow I've seen, so it must be warming up, which is good news for our army. My hands beg to differ, and I blow on them the way I used to blow on Bee's when she complained that they were cold. My hands are long and thin, and the calluses from my days in Dauntless are long gone. I'll need as much training as the people who I'm suppose to teach. Zeke and I decided it'd be a good idea to train in the Dauntless headquarters. For some strange reason, it wasn't changed into anything after the war. The erudite buildings became a university, hospital and science lab for those who worked with chemicals and serums. The amity unit became homes for those who wanted to be involved in agriculture. There's a rumor that they still make their peace bread from time to time but I'm not sure if I want find out. I've had a first-hand view of the effect it has on people, smiling to myself as I remember Tris' experience. When I turn the corner, what I see surges my body with pride. Bee stands slightly elevated above the factionless, just enough for everyone to see her and be considered 'equal' to them. Evelyn looks towards me with a small smile as I draw closer to them and listen to Bee's words.

"Our city is in danger. I know life hasn't been easy for you, because I am one of you. I grew up here, I shivered in the winter, and I went without dinner. Things aren't easy now, but I am willing to make sure they will be easy when we settle this. You have the power to keep what is yours by fighting for Chicago, and after we win, you'll have the capability to _thrive_ in this city. We need your help more than ever. Will you join us?"

It's silent for a while, then slowly, a thin man steps forward, nodding at Bee. She steps down from her stage and softly takes his hand, whispering a thank you. More and more men step forward, willing to fight for our city, willing to risk everything they have. Their bravery and selflessness is like a bucket of ice on my back and I walk to meet Bee. I look out at the crowd, helpless eyes clawing at my own for an answer. I say what I think is the best I could've said at that moment: "We will fight, and we will win. There is a brighter future waiting for all of us."

If there is one thing we've learned after the first war that the factions couldn't do, I would be how to unite during hardships, no matter who you are.

XXX

_I am so proud of Bee! Aren't you?_


	11. Instructor and Initiate

_Hey guys! Sorry for the silence but I had no internet for the week. Now I am able to upload this adorable chapter!_

_Note: So I made a rookie mistake a few chapters ago. (The "six years later" one) I started off talking about the summer sun and ended with snow. so in order to make it all work, Bee's birthday is now DECEMBER sixth (it's changed if you go look back at it) and so this wearing coats and what not makes a little more sense. Sorry about that, but I didn't get a comment on it so that's good news... Any who, get to the story!_

XXX

There's a hint of a promise that spring is drawing near in the wind today as I forgo the scarf and gloves and settle for just a coat. The sidewalks are occupied by a more people than before, but there are still those in Chicago who won't put up with this kind of weather. Beside me, Bee is examining the melting ice from the trees, tucking her hair behind her ear and her cheeks a rosy color. As she's grown her features from Lauren have become a bit less prominent and seem to be more casual on her face. Her hair, that was so light as a child could have been deemed as white, now looks like gold flowing from her scalp. Her cheekbones are higher with maturity and her hooked nose accents her face in a way that was different from Lauren and makes me curious about her biologically father. We take the train quietly and wait for our stop, which we won't have to jump off the train to get to anymore...

Training at the old Dauntless headquarters was the best option. There were old apartments to house the soldiers, has all the proper training equipment, and a large kitchen the churned out delicious food and cake to feed the people of the faction. It has everything we need. All we need to do is wipe off some dust and turn the electricity back on. I head to Dauntless a day before our training officially starts and I take Bee along with me. Partly because I want to show her one of the places I came from, since she's seen Abnegation, and also to see where her mother Lauren used to live. The other reason is because I'll need someone to keep me calm as I walk down the empty hallways that used to be full of life and people with a buzz for adrenaline. Every place in the faction holds a memory of someone I lost. Uriah and Marlene in the dining hall, Lauren by the net, even Al in the chasm. And then there's Tris. Tris will be everywhere since, believe it or not, this is where we were the happiest, besides Amity perhaps. Every moment of her time in Dauntless I pounded in my mind. The net, the training room, the simulation room, the chasm, my apartment, all of it. And more than anything, I'm afraid her ghost will haunt me while I'm here, and I can't go through it alone.

"How many years were you here before the war?" Bee asks me as we wait for the empty train to stop for us.

"Only two years after transferring from Abnegation. But those two years were better than all my childhood years added together," she becomes silent with sympathy as we stand to exit the train. The train is at a complete stop and there is now a small bridge connecting from the track to the roof of dauntless. They added it a few years ago when they thought the faction building could be used as a museum but the plan failed to be pursued. I swallow hard while I cross the bridge and look down despite my fear. Below me is the ground that I have jumped across hundreds of times but never got to examine. I smile and make it to the roof.

We walk to the edge where we'll have to enter the building, Dauntless Style. I don't have to say a word because Bee knows by looking at the hole. "You've got to be kidding." I laugh. "I'll go first and help you out of the net." I stand on the edge. "This doesn't freak you out, Dad? You know with the heights and all." I face her and smile, stepping onto the ledge. "Not if I close my eyes" and I fall into the net blindly, feeling the tight rope press into my skin and my older muscles as I hit it and then spring back into the air. It hurts a little more this time around but I laugh as I look around. I'm here. It's been so long. Despite spending most of my time covering up my divergence, trying to keep myself, and eventually Tris, alive because of the danger Divergence was, I enjoyed my time here. I thrived in the fighting, releasing anger after years of tight shut lips and routine beatings. This is where I met Zeke and Shauna and others that I still connect with today. It seems as if I'm a transfer again, nervous about what I'll see, but feeling the freest I've ever had. Once I'm untangled from the net, I call up for Bee. There are many things Bee does that remind me of Tris, but jumping into the net isn't one of them. She screams with fear until she hits the net, and then it's a shriek of enthusiasm and laughter. I help her down and she adjusts her clothes, looking around.

The room is dark except for the emergency lights that paint the room red, but it's exactly as I remember it. The whole building is made of a light gray concrete with stairs that lead up to the main floor: the pit. I head to the wall were I know the switches will be and flip the switches. A buzzing sound is heard and the white fluorescent lights slowly come to life. Bee is still looking around curiously when I return to her side. "Follow me." I say and we head upstairs. Our feet make noise as we make it to the pit and I hear Bee gasp beside me, holding her necklace. "It's like a bee hive." I never even thought of that analogy before. But she's right: along the sides of the pit are small openings and hallways, leading to other parts of the faction. "Man, it must've gotten really dirty." I laugh, like a déjà vu moment when an erudite or candor commented on the cleanliness of out faction building. "No, that's just the way it is. This is the pit where the life of dauntless was at." I point to where the cafeteria is, and she comments on how that will be plenty of space to feed the soldiers. Her comment sends butterflies to my stomach as I realize she's 110% involved in our war despite every protest I've thrown her way.

We go to the training room. "This is where we'll be able to train all of them to be ready I'm combat." I look at her for a moment. She wants to help, wants to fight. There's no way I'm letting her come, but she does need to know how to defend herself. The switch flips and I become Four, the initiate trainer. "All right, get in the ring." She whips her gaze to me with confusion and I nod my head telling her to go. She gets in the ring. "You're small, so if you're every attacked, you need to take a defensive approach. Keep your face covered. But for purposes of training, I want you to try and hit me."

Her jaw drops. "You're joking, right?" I get in my fighting stance and shake my head. Her look is incredulous, but she bends her legs slightly and her face becomes determined. We spend a few minutes sparring, and I predict all of her moves. This makes her frustrated and she hits my right shoulder hard. I groan and close my eyes. "Damn," I whisper, "you'll be fine." Her grin is bright.

We head to the targets that are still hanging from the wall, an outline of a six foot man. Zeke had promised that all the weapons were still available for our use and I grin when I open the locked door, using the same passcode, and pull out a small hand gun. I slowly walk toward Bee, who's jaw is tight and eyes are looking anywhere but the weapon in my hands. "Bee, you need to learn."

She sighs. "I can't. I just. . ." My paternal side wants to put the gun down and hug her tightly, but the instructor within me wants to push her. I remember when Tris was afraid of guns after killing Will. I was so frustrated with her selfless ways that it just made me angry when she wouldn't use a gun. Bee, though, isn't in a life threatening situation right now, she doesn't have a death wish, and she's never killed anyone. I'm the first one to admit that it's hard to get over your fears but it is possible. "Bee," I start, pleading with my eyes, "You're going to need to learn how to shoot to protect yourself."

"But my mom-" her chin wobbles.

"Your mom was the best shot in the whole faction. If she had a gun that day, she'd be alive. Lauren would want you to know how to protect yourself. I want it, too." I hold it out to her, and she grabs it, her hand shaking. I go through the steps with her, turn the safety off, the firing stance, tight arms, aim, and shoot. It takes her a few deep breaths before she fires and it hits directly above where the heart is, more on the collarbone but not far from her target. She's panicking now, so I take the gun and set it on a nearby table. "You're okay. It can't hurt you when it's in your hands." Those words click in her brain and she rises, wipes her face, and we get a few more rounds in for the day.

After our muscles ache and our backs are covered in sweat, I lead her to the housing area, my feet naturally leading to my own apartment. I'm surprised to find that it's unlocked and I enter it. It's just how I left it, but with a thick layer of dust coating each object. Bee trails behind me taking in the apartment. "Was this place yours?" I nod as I head to the desk, looking for any left-over papers. I find the information about the initiates the year Tris was here and a letter from my mother when she asked to meet me. Those don't apply and I almost give up until I see a file titled: _Erudite_. I take the file just in case, take one quick look around and close my apartment door. Naturally this is where I'll sleep during training so it isn't a bittersweet goodbye to the old Tobias.

I point out a few more spots around Dauntless and accidently gesture where the one place I knew she'd be begging to see: the tattoo shop. I'm not surprised when she ignores my protests and walks in; turning on the lights for herself like it was her own bedroom. The orange light glows behind the glass plates that picture optional tattoos hanging from a column and Bee walks around admiring them. She grins as she picks up the arrow, one I distinctly remember Lauren having on her rib cage. She holds it in her hands facing me. "No," I immediately answer. She raises her eyebrows. "Coming from the guy whose back is more ink than skin? Really," she mumbles and I cross my arms. She sighs. "Come on, Dad. Please." She looks down at the arrow while she continues, "my mom had this tattoo. When I asked her why she got an arrow, she said 'my father used to say in the midst of turmoil, we must be like arrows; always moving forward after shot and never straying too far from the path'. I want something to remind me of her. Please."

I sigh, feeling guilty and roll my eyes. "Fine. Where do you want it?" Her smile is dazzling and she points to her right shoulder blade. She removes her coat and over shirt and pushes her tank strap to the side. Luckily I figured out how to do this while watching Tori prepare to ink my skin numerous times. I place the black palm-sized pad on the spot and press the button. We hear a soft buzz as it works and I know Bee is grinning. Once I remove it, I let her look at it by holding up a mirror behind her as she stands in front of another mirror. She smiles and wipes a stray tear from her eyes. I smile too, realizing how happy she is to have a piece of her mother with her. If I knew getting the arrow tattoo meant this much to her, I would've let her get one when she first moved in with me. She looks around and picks up another tattoo plate, one that makes me catch my breath. Three black crows against the light orange glass lay in her hands. She catches my expression and looks at me questioningly. I swallow before beginning. "That was Tris' tattoo." My initial guess of her reaction to what I said would be to set the tattoo down and leave, but Bee surprises me. "I'll need her courage. I'd like to have this as a reminder of the woman I was named after." I nod and she points to her left wrist. I place the pad once more on her skin, and we're silent this time. I remove the pad again and look down. The crows soar against her skin and I am once again reminded of Tris when I look at her. But Bee already bears the symbols in a different way than Tris. Tris' crows represented her family members. Bee's crows serve as a reminder of strength. Bee smiles at me and I look into her eyes, seeing determination and bravery, like the crows and arrow inked on her skin caused her to bloom with power. The war paint is on, and I can clearly see what lies ahead.

XXX

_So I am now officially out of pre-written chapters. Hopefully I'll get a flow and write a couple ahead of time. Thanks so much for reading! Leave a review why don't ya!_


	12. Officer Meeting and Photographs

_O MY GOSH GUYS. I am so sorry about the delay. I feel like I've had no time to even breathe. I hope this chapter is an acceptable apology._

XXX

Since hearing of the news of the possible attack on Chicago, the school decided to shut down until the matter was resolved. While this was perfect for me to spend more time with Bee before I leave, it also gave her time to pry at my plans for the army and hint at her determination to join us. The last day before I moved back into my apartment at Dauntless for two weeks of training, Bee and I went on a walk. She was old enough to stay in my apartment alone so she had nothing to pack, but Shauna had promised me she would check on Bee every day I was gone. Just in case.

She looped her arm through mine affectionately as we walked our usual route around the lake. All we are wearing is a light weight jacket, ditching the scarves, gloves, and heavy coats and enjoying the tiniest bit of heat. We take a seat on the bench and discuss casual topics, like the weather and our neighbors terrible playing of the violin. After a few minutes, I take her hands in mine. "Bee, I need to talk to you about the future." She bites her lip while shaking her head no. I give her a look saying that I have to and continue. "I have set aside money for you since I took you in. In my closet are all the files in order to get that money if you need it. If I don't come back, you will have access to the rest of my savings and accounts. Also, Cara and Caleb will let you live with them if you feel like you aren't ready to be on your own, though Caleb is coming with us."

Tears slowly roll down her cheeks and I try to wipe them but she angrily pushes my hand away. "Why are you talking like this? Do you want to go?"

"Of course not, Bee, you know I don't. I'm just trying to be reasonable." I take a few deep breaths. She comes crashing into my arms, and I hold her, as if she was ten again and not a young woman.

"You know, this would be easier if you'd let me come," She softly offers while slightly pulling away. Seeing my grimace, she returns her head to my chest.

"Don't worry about your old man," I stroke her hair softly. "I have to be back to take care of my pansycake." My comment is returned with a playful hit.

XXX

That Monday morning was a calm one as I left my apartment in the city and headed to my apartment in Dauntless. A few volunteers were waiting at the door that didn't require a net to enter to help with registration of the soldiers. Zeke and I called a meeting with all the other commanding officers for a quick debrief of how the next two weeks will be going. I drop my stuff off at my old apartment like it's the most natural thing in the world and head to the conference room, two flights above the living sector. I decide to take the stairs, assuming the extra cardio can only help my cause. I'm really feeling my age here lately.

Opening the door, I see that everyone is present and I am slightly late. "Four" Zeke says and nods for me to close the door and let the meeting start. Hearing my old name in this familiar setting sends shivers down my spine but I ignore them and look around the table to see my team of officers. Zeke stands to my right, Officer Daniel is absentmindedly stirring his coffee, Christina gives me a smug look as if to say "teacher and student back at it again." When I see the bright red hair, I stare in confusion. I had no idea we were going to add another officer to our agreed group of four. Zeke places a hand on my shoulder. "Four, this is Officer Williams. She was interested in joining us and met all the criteria." I nod and manage a small welcome. Her bright green eyes fierce with determination nodded back at me. I pull my eyes away and return to the vague stare I use when talking to a group. "The reason I called this meeting was to debrief you about our goals in preparing these soldiers for war. We will each have our own unit to see over. But as of right now, we need to be in charge of one station each; firearms, hand to hand combat, medical, physical training, and info about our mission. Officer Daniel, I would appreciate it if you took the info because of your involvement with the police department. Christina?"

She spins her pin on her fingers before grinning maniacally. "Firearms."

I chuckle at the predictability of Christina and turn to Zeke.

"Well, Four, you definitely should be hand to hand combat. I'll take physical training." I nod and gaze at Officer Williams. She gives me a small smile before answering, "medical will be fine."

"Great. So after we talk to the soldiers we'll head to our assigned sectors and train for the day. We'll continue this for a week and regroup to discuss progress." The group mumbled in agreement before heading to their unit. Seek waited for me by the door. "Who is Officer Williams?"

Zeke's white grin flashed against his dark skin and he wiggled his eyes. "Her name is Samantha Williams. She was a recommended choice by Amar and luckily she was already interested in working with us. She is a former accountant but left it to become a police officer after her dad died on duty. He was one of the head officers with George. She's pretty badass. And just pretty too." He gave a small laugh at my expression before I pushed him out the door.

XXX

"Now, when it comes down to hand-to-hand combat, you need to always keep your hands up to protect your face. For you ladies, because you're physically built smaller, this is important for you as well as using your elbows and knees." I look around my small class before stepping in the ring with one student. I nod for him to attack me and I take him down a few seconds later. "Never attack first. Remember that we don't necessarily want to kill these people, but rather knock them out until we shut down the controlling serum program. That's it for today." I help the student up and release everyone for lunch. Once I'm out of the training room, I head to my apartment and plop down on the couch. I dial the number on the sticky note and wait for the other line to pick up. "Hello?"

"Hey Shauna. It's Four. Can I talk to Bee?"

"Yeah of course."

When I hear her voice I smile. "Hey there Bee."

"Hi dad. How's it going over there?"

I stretch out on the couch ready for a long conversation. "It's going pretty well considering the amount of time we have had. I don't think we'll need that second week of training."

She's quiet for a moment before answering solemnly. "Oh. Ok. Well that's good."

I wait to hear more but I reply when nothing comes from the other end. "Bee, don't be upset. You know what I have to do so we can win this fight. It's what has to be done."

"I know dad. I do. I just miss you."

I sigh and rub my face. "Me too, kiddo. Me too."

After I hang up, I leave my apartment and head to the filing room on the top floor. The sound of people talking gets softer and softer as I rise and I can focus on what I need. The filing room is chilly so I move quickly towards the correct filing cabinet. I pull out the folder that's titled Erudite members and look through the pictures quickly, but I decide to take the whole thing back to my apartment. Walking as quickly as possible, I slam into something soft but I steady it. I look down to see Officer Williams staring back at me with a slightly bewildered face. "Officer Williams," I breathe, "I'm so sorry."

She waves me off after pulling away from my sturdy hand and she fidgets with her clothes. "Oh no problem. It's fine. In a hurry," she asks after seeing my gaze.

"Just trying to get some more information." She nods with a small smiles."well, good luck with that, sir." I suddenly smile back, which is something I almost never do during a conversation, and giver her my thanks before returning to the pursuit of my secluded apartment. Once locking the door behind me, I spread all the pictures out on the table and look at them. There are multiple pictures of a crew of scientists and also some of them working. Nothing is hinting at any of the clues we've gotten for the war. I look at all the pictures on the table, frustrated, when I see one of them sticking out to me. In the middle of the table is a picture of three scientist: a brunette headed man with the name tag the reads Tom, Caleb Prior in a pristine white lab coat and a terrifyingly happy Jeanine Matthews.


End file.
